Brooklyn Nets vs. Toronto Raptors preview: two teams on the way to the lottery

Brooklyn Nets v Toronto Raptors — Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images

The Nets are in Toronto to play the Raptors and both teams are in a bad way and in a bad need of a win.

There was no way the Nets were going to get out of losing to the Cavs. They had just lost their star point guard the day before, so new adjustments had to be made in terms of play style. But while game one of this post-Dennis Schroder era didn’t go so well (or did it, tankers?), there is a chance that the next two games can provide some light for a very dark tunnel Nets players will probably have to go through for the rest of the season. It’s not just the losing, it’s the anxiety of the trade season is now right in front of them after Schroder left.

“When my agent called me, I was shocked,” Schroder told reporters in San Francisco. “I liked the situation in Brooklyn. We just got settled in the house, shipped everything over, unpacked everything, and then we got the call. At the end of the day, me and my family, we’re happy now.

“We just gotta move them over hopefully before Christmas. But I think it’s better now than at the trade deadline, so hopefully my family can come down and we can get all settled and be together again.”

Tonight, Schroder is in Memphis while the Nets will be taking on the lowly Toronto Raptors in Canada. Both teams are in a bad way. Brooklyn has lost six of their last seven and the Raptors, whose record of 7-20 has them at the bottom of the East, has lost five straight. A win for either could do some good for the players and coaches if not organization. Players and coaches don’t tank.

Where to Watch

Check out all the action at 7:30 p.m. ET on the YES Network and NBA League Pass.

Injury Report

Bojan Bogdanovic, De’Anthony Melton, Cam Thomas, Ziaire Williams, and Trendon Watford are all out with injuries. Jaylen Martin and Dariq Whitehead will be fulfilling G-League duties. The newest Net, Reece Beekman, will be available. Beekman is on a two-way deal, replacing the injured and now waived Jacky Cui.

For the Raptors, Scottie Barnes is listed as questionable. Immanuel Quickly, Bruce Brown, and Jakob Poeltl are all out with injuries.

The Game

Coming off a five game losing streak, the Raptors are riddled with injuries. While they still have been scoring a ton of points without their two stars in Immanuel Quickly and Scottie Barnes, they have been lacking in rebounding.

The Nets are dead last in the league in total rebounds per game, but maybe this is the game where they put their big boy pants on. Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe can have big games because of this, as they both put up solid performances against the Cavs.

But overall, the Nets have to recover from their 29-point pasting on Monday, as our Shara Talia Taylor notes in this summary.

If they can get past that, Cam Johnson has the chance to light it up from three, as the Raptors are 21st in defensive efficiency. Putting up 22 points on Monday, Johnson continues to be a spark for the Nets no matter the situation … as long as he’s around, that is.

One guy who certainly will be around is Jordi Fernandez who is in familiar territory having coached Team Canada in both the FIBA World Cup and Olympics the last two seasons, finishing with the bronze in Manila and fourth place in Paris. Team Canada trains in Toronto and he has a fan base.

Jay Rosales of RaptorsHQ, our sister site covering the Raptors, wrote this week about what Fernandez can bring to any organization.

Something funny happened along the way to mediocrity. Jordi Fernandez happened!

As Canadian basketball fans know all too well, Fernandez has a knack for getting the best out of his troops and producing winning results. At 10-15, the Nets are currently in a play-in position with one of the best 3-point offenses in the league. Can Jordi continue getting victories as the front office trades away his best players?

We are about to find out.

Player To Watch: Gradey Dick

The 2023 lottery pick has made a huge jump this season. After spending time in the G-League last season, the sophomore is now averaging 18.5 PPG on 34% from 3-point range. If the Nets are not on their Ps and Qs, he has the ability to light it up.

Like any young player — and he is only 21, he is a bit inconsistent but on an offensively challenged club like the Raptors, his output is needed. Over his past four games, he’s had three games of 20 or more as well as a 7-point stinker against the Knicks.

In those four games, that inconsistency was apparent. While he averaged 20.8 points — and had two 27-point outings — he shot only 30.7% from deep and 39.4% overall, never hitting 40% from deep or 50% overall in any of the four games. But like we said, the Raps need the scoring wherever they can get it.

From the Vault

In the summer of 2023, Nick Nurse, Team Canada’s long time coach and the man who took the Raptors to their only NBA title, left the program and Jordi Fernandez, former assistant coach of the Spanish and Nigerian Olympic team got the call. At the time, Canada was ranked 15th in the FIBA World rankings. He told Sportsnet Canada that he had big plans for the program which was and is led by Toronto’s own Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: “All the way to the top.”